Shanna Ramsey

I attribute my success to being able to put myself in a room and navigate rooms that weren't built for me. It's about understanding clients and meeting them where they are, understanding what is important to them, and just getting to know them on a more personal level, not just on the wealth level. I think there's a personal connection that is involved with every interaction that I have with clients, whether it be through a social setting or a client meeting. My success comes from just understanding and listening and being a strategic thought partner to my clients, someone that they can rely on and give them sound advice.

The best career advice that I've ever received is to be bold and throw shame out the window. Because that's what, I mean, for women, that's sometimes, especially in this industry, that's a lot of what can be what holds you back. When you throw shame out the window and you can be bold, that's the best way to just go ahead and go for it.

How you choose to think about yourself is what's gonna ultimately lead you in this industry. I would tell another woman or another Black woman that this isn't about what anyone else thinks about you, it's what you think about yourself. That's the first thing. And then always be a great listener. Always be someone that is wanting to learn and listen from the people that you're in front of. Be bold, and again, don't prejudge yourself, and don't count yourself out. Don't prejudge the setting. You know, I would tell women coming up behind that want to be in this industry, don't count yourself out. Always move forward, move forward with grace and integrity and trust, and people will learn to understand you and understand that you burned your seat at the table and work very hard. Obviously, this is an industry where your hard work is required, and confidence is also required.

I think the biggest challenge is getting past the mental roadblock and not seeing people that look like many people that look like you in this space. And then also, just to overcome your own fears, and don't prejudge yourself, and don't prejudge the setting. You know, when I was entering in the ultra-high net worth space, you're always thinking about, okay, well, you know, it's a room that you walk in, there's not a lot of people that look like me, but I still have to be bold. I still go with the knowledge and the confidence of knowing that I can speak the language, I can definitely help these people. I'm coming in with good intention, and I'm coming in to build trust and to build understanding with the clients that I want to serve.

Values that are important to me are definitely building trust, building discretion, and just being a genuine person for myself and for the people that are around me. It is very important for me that my son, as a single mom, that he sees my hard work and my dedication to making sure that his success is going to be pushed forward by the things that I do, and that is instilled in him. So it's very important for me, for my family, to understand that I'm out here and everything that I do is gonna be a reflection of who I am and who I want my son to be. When I go into a room, and there's anything that kind of keeps me and holds me back, I think about how he gets up every day, and every day he faces his challenges head-on, and I think he does that because he sees me do that.